HMS Illustrious with several destroyers.
HMS Illustrious (R06) is the second of the three Invincible-class light Aircraft Carriers. It is estimated to cost £215,400,000 and is planned to be decommissioned in 2014 and later replaced by HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08). It is owned by the Royal Navy and was mainly used during the Falklands Conflict, assisting the RAF's Sea Harriers. At the moment, HMS Illustrious is the Royal Navy's sole Aircraft Carrier.
HMS Illustrious, like many modern carriers, has its own form of self-defence. It has a Goalkeeper Close-In Weapon System anti-missile turret, and two GAM-B01 Okerlikon 20mm close-range cannons.
HMS Illustrious carries 22 aircraft at a time when in one of its two roles:
- When in the strike, anti-sub warfare and anti-surface warfare role, it carries 12 AV-8 Harrier GR.7/9s, and ten helicopters in a combination of W-101 Merlin and WS-61 Sea Kings.
- When in the strike and anti-sub warfare role, it carries 18 Sea Harriers and four helicopters.
Its motto is Vox Non Incerta, which is Latin for "No Uncertain Sound". The carrier weighs around 22,000 tons and is 209 metres long. It has a crew of 685 and 366 personnel for the Fleet Air Arm.